Venator Hiems

The most remote Venatorian settlement, Venator Hiems is a massive mining town has proven itself to be instrumental to the economic and industrial aspects of the Venatorian Empire. Yet despite its importance, it remains generally obscure to public view, and is rarely praised for its contributions to Venatorian society.

Demographics

The vast majority of the inhabitants of Venator Hiems are involved with the collection or refinement of copper, iron and titanium. Many spend their days in the intense heat of the Copia Fields, ripping up chunks of metal and hauling them to massive industrial smelters. Others oversee the smelting of these metals and ensure that they are molded into ingots to be shipped off to the rest of the Venatorian Empire.
The more wealthy members of the city are accountants and shipping managers, ensuring that wages are paid and that every single shipment reaches its destination.

Government

Venator Hiems is the one place in Venatorian territory where the citizens do not have to pay tax. This is because the Venatorian government realizes the importance of Venator Hiems and knows that taxing the workers of the mining town will only lead to a refusal to work.
While Venator Hiems is too small to require a Procurator to oversee, the Emperor knows how important its safety is, and as such, he assigned one of his Praetorian Guards to oversee the mining colony and act as an extension of his will. This Praetorian is Hirram Gates, a high elf known for his stern yet charitable nature. There are certainly less benevolent rulers who could have been given the reins to Venator Hiems.

Defences

Legionnaires and Velites regularly patrol the settlement, keeping any potential crimes at bay and dissuading bandits from attacking the mining colony. Velites here are instructed to only use crossbows, as having large amounts of gunpowder within an area of volcanic activity would certainly lead to disaster.
An elite unit of triarii are located in Venator Hiems. Their main purpose is to keep larger threats at bay, such as drakes, dire-bears and the Adamant Wolves, a group of thieves and anarchists led by the demigod Autolycus. They are also meant to intimidate the workers into doing their jobs, but decades of living together have broken down all social and professional boundaries.
The unstable, volcanic ground ensures than no large invasion force could advance on Venator Hiems without going at a snail's pace. The Copia Fields are practically a natural and incredibly lethal moat.

Infrastructure

Incredibly large blast furnaces take up approximately one third of the area of Venator Hiems. There are three of these furnaces, one for copper, one for iron and one for titanium. These blast furnaces are used to melt down raw ore so that they can be smelted down into refined ingots. These blast furnaces are partially heated by the subterranean magma underneath Venator Hiems. The slag created by these forges is used in the creation of cement.

Assets

The Typhoon Saloon is the most popular tavern in Venator Hiems. With little to do but work and drink, the people of Venator Hiems have developed a love for incredibly strong alcohol, such as absinthe and Zestósian wine. Many go to the Typhoon Saloon after a long day's work to play cards, drink and sing their troubles away.
The Hiems Post Office is connected to the Venatorian courier service, and allows the citizens of Venator Hiems to stay in contact with the rest of the empire. Many people take temporary jobs in Venator Hiems, and use the Hiems Post Office in order to stay in contact with their family members. The Hiems Post Office also reguarly gets large quantities of Venatorian newspapers, in order to ensure that the inhabitants of the mining colony stay in touch with current events going on throughout Eregost.

Geography

Venator Hiems is located within the Copia Fields, an area of volcanic activity in the northwest of Venatorian territory. The grounds there are littered with both small volcanic streams and with hot springs. Thankfully there is no sulfur in the area, making the air breathable. The ground is rocky, unstable and a greyish bronze in colour. The Copia Fields stretch on for over five kilometres in every direction.

Natural Resources

Venator Hiems is situated right next to the Copia Fields, a particularly volcanic part of land that just so happens to also have rich deposits of iron, copper and titanium within it. The amount of natural resources that can be found here is truly staggering, and it is thanks to the Copia Fields that the Venatorian Empire has not faced any resource shortages.
The volcanic and unstable grounds of the Copia Fields are devoid of most vegetation apart from Rock Ginger, a plant used in the creation of medicines and spices. This rare herb is sold to alchemists and high quality restaurants.

Type

Town

Population

2,500

Owning Organization

Venatorian Empire